IN VIOLATION OF ORDER OF THE PATNA HIGH COURT, SPEED BREAKERS EMERGED LIKE MUSHROOM IN BHOJPUR DISTRICT

IN VIOLATION OF ORDER OF THE PATNA HIGH COURT, SPEED BREAKERS EMERGED LIKE MUSHROOM IN BHOJPUR DISTRICT

27-OCT-ENG 5

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------In sheer violation of orders of the Patna High Court, speed breakers are being made on different roads, lanes and bylanes in Bhojpur district with impunity right under the nose of the Bhojpur district administration but the officials have turned blind eyes towards this. Whenever Chief Minister or others visit the district, the officials of the Bhojpur District administration remove the illegal speed breakers in a haste to safeguard their skin.

Many years ago, following the instructions of the Patna High Court, speed breakers were removed from the roads and as a result, people got respite and even the movement of vehicles had become smooth but as the district administration became lax with the time, speed breakers emerged once again against the rules and there is a glut of speed breakers on roads of Bhojpur district once again causing problems for people and drivers as well.

Although as per the rules, there is a provision to make speed breakers to reduce the speed of the vehicles but criteria have been set for this so that the speed breakers do not cause any problem rather there should be benefit from it. In the rural as wel as urban areas, speed breakers are installed at every step on roads are proving to be disaster and fatal for the drivers particularly for the two-wheeler drivers and accidents occur every day due to haphazardly constructed speed breakers.

As per the Indian Road Congress guidelines, an ideal speed breaker should have a height of 10 centimeter, length of 3.5 meter and a coverage radius of 17 meter. A warning board should be installed on the speed breaker 40 meter before the speed breaker to alert the drivers. The strip is to be made with thermoplastic paint so that drivers can be warned and do not face problem at night.

Considering the sensitivity of the patients, the apex court had issued guidelines for making speed breakers and instructed to remove all speed breakers built against the norms but in many parts of Bhojpur district, the speed breakers built are providing less safety and more accidents. The speed breakers have become status symbol. Influential persons particularly in rural areas forcibly build speed breakers near their houses even in bylanes.

Speed breakers are injurious for general people especially the elderly. Shocks to the waist and spine cause pain and slip disc paralyzing people for the whole life. On roads, speed breakers are made in drum size or like camel hunch which is against the rule. The rule for construction of speed breakers is different for National Highways and populated areas. As per the court order, the construction of speed breakers on National Highways is illegal and it is allowed only in the populated area that too with riders. At many places, the nearby people constructed cemented speed breakers. Not only this, even electric poles have been places at many places which is quite dangerous.

Only a government agency can make speed breakers. According to the Road Construction Department, an application has to be given to the department for the construction of a speed breaker and after getting the approval, the construction can be done by following the rules.

The purpose of speed breaker is to reduce the speed of vehicles to 20 kilometer to 30 kilometer per hour so that the risk, of road accidents can be reduced but what is on paper is not on the ground.

Sanjay Kumar, Executive Engineer, Road Construction Department, said that it is true that speed breakers have been made incorrectly at many places. Even during construction work, many villagers get speed breakers made at the local level. Speed breakers should be made as the rules so that they serve their purpose.